Moana Hou - The New Sea
by Tassakahn
Summary: A mysterious arrival, a new world, and a new legend, await him. The story of Anmia; a being from a far-away time and place, he arrives on the shores of the isolated world of Moana Hou; a sea-locked island utopia, now troubled by forces darker than anyone had thought would find them...
1. Chapter 1 - Another Arrival

Streaks of golden-orange tinged the dull sky overhead, casting a faint, warm, light over the expanse of sand.

A small sand crab emerged from the cover of the rocky bluff which arced around the long beach, shielding the land beyond, for the most part, from the buffeting winds of the sea.

In its search for food, it happened upon a less natural object, towering several feet above the small creature. Scrabbling at this relatively monolithic structure did little more than produce a hollow metallic echo from within. With nothing of interest to the crab here, it moved on.

This curious cylinder attracted many others over the few days that it rested in the sand, apparently lifeless, yet it grew warm enough to dissuade most from sitting nearby - or on - it for too long. And so it was that, quite suddenly, in the dusk of its third night in the sands, the side of the canister slid open. The small Rahi who had been resting at a comfortable enough distance to warm themselves with the heat of the object now scattered, as fragments of limbs and flesh tumbled from the opening.

Now observed by some hundred curious eyes, a slow, clawed, hand emerged and extended itself out into the pale light, now quickly dissipating into the light of the stars above.

At last the claw clamped itself to the side of the opening, and a sputtering light began to come from inside as two pale eyes opened, at last. This curiously disjointed creature, too weak to be a threat, soon lost its status as a curiosity, and the sand crabs, and other small creatures of the beach, gathered to investigate the spilled body parts, some picking at the sinews between the armoured sections, some seeking their residual warmth.

A frustrated hiss from the owner of these, as it pulled itself with some great effort forward, once again sent the crabs scattering at it toppled forward into the sand. Presently the clawed hand reached out to touch the arm that had somehow been separated from him. Picking the appendage up, he was surprised as the muscles on it began to shift and move, stretching, very slightly, towards their proper place. A strange sensation passed through him, a slight twinge as the muscles rejoined and all fixed into place.

Curious, indeed. He allowed the piece to rejoin with his form. Somehow, he felt a little stronger for it, clearer of mind.

Some labour-filled time later, he struggled to attach a last piece, a small section of his leg. Now he turned to the smooth surface of the canister he had been so gracefully borne from. His eyes fell on the reflection of his dull grey form, then to study his face, distorted by the curve of the makeshift mirror.

Four mandibles reached to a small circular opening of a mouth, which spread in surprise, a sharp breath drawing in the now dark, cool air. He tasted the sea, salty. Still, he felt weak - something was… missing.

He stooped so the opening of the cylinder, clasping he frame with these clawed digits - these had strength, he thought, enough to find what he sought.

Eyes casting a slight glow, he looked about for this missing piece. Ah, there - that had to be it.

He reached for a small satchel, resting at the far end. Opening it, he first lifted out an object wrapped in tattered sheet. No - a rag, really. He unwrapped it, to be met with a sinking feeling. There was a mask within, but shattered, the the point where it was hard to recognise.

His hand brushed over a third of the mask that was mostly intact, resting near the empty eye-gap that stared up at him, angular and unwilling to give him any answers.

Another hiss of frustration, and he poured the fragmented mask back into the satchel, gripping the cloth in his claw, tightly. Once more he investigated the pouch, setting his jaws in anger.

This attempt was somewhat more rewarding. His hand returned gripping some kind of scroll, miraculously intact. As he unrolled the parchment something fell from inside, glancing off his leg before hitting his foot and landing with a muffled thud in the sand.

"Ah-" He felt some pain at the impact. "what…"

He knelt in the sand, beside the stone, and flattened the sheet out on the ground. A frown crossed his face, and he blinked slowly, puzzled. He understood little of the words, but there were some images printed upon it.

His gaze fell upon an image of a figure bearing some kind of staff, and next to it was a figure he recognised, but this time it bore a mask. Beneath the image a word was printed, and this one he remembered quite clearly.

"Anmia… That is me," he murmured, finding his tongue at last. "Strange."

He scooped up the stone in his claw, wrapping it back up in the scroll and placing it back into the satchel, carefully.

"Now," Anmia mused to himself, pushing himself to stand, "there must be a reason to all this."

The cold wind was now stinging his un-masked face. He touched it tentatively, feeling some shame that it was absent. He looked to the fabric in his hand, and then shrugged slightly.

"Better than nothing." He sighed, wrapping it around his head carefully, then shrugging the satchel around his shoulder. Looking around, he noticed a small pair of eyes looking up at him. Anmia squinted, and saw the small sand crab. Now the crab turned and scuttled back toward the rocks.

"Wha- wait-" Anmia struggled after the little Rahi. Now it disappeared into a small cave, too narrow for him to squeeze into. He blinked. "Damn."

Now it seemed that his only option was to climb the rocky face he found himself standing beneath. He shook his head; it was much too dark for him to climb safely, he'd have to wait until the light returned. A sudden anger took hold of him.

_Why am I here? I couldn't even remember my own name… but - why?_

Sitting down in the nook of the cave's opening, he looked out at the faint glimmering light of the stars on the sea. He felt his weakness again, his apparent fragility.

He huddled into a tighter position against the stone and lost himself in his thoughts, staring out into the ocean beyond.


	2. Chapter 2 - Aroha

Anmia woke with a start to the feeling of something touching his face. With a cry, he recoiled, both hitting his head on the rock, and sending a little crab flying from his person.

"A-ah!" He cried, casting his eyes about, confused, for whatever had been sitting on his face. He saw the crab presently, stuck on its back, legs waving franticly in the air. Anmia raised a brow at this, and reached out to nudge the creature upright again.

Instead, to his dismay, the crab clutched onto his arm and began to crawl back towards him.

"No. Don't do that," He said, attempting to bat the crab away. Even so, the small Rahi settled on his shoulder, just beneath his neck. Again he tried to remove the creature, but only succeeded in making it grip more tightly onto him. He glared at the thing, giving a resigned sigh and struggling to his feet.

"Fine."

He picked up his satchel and turned to examine the rock face. It would be difficult to climb, but it _was_ possible. Weighing the bag in his hand, Anmia peered up at the edge above. He gripped the satchel's strap, tight, and reached back to throw it.

The object flew towards the top of the ledge. Anmia wobbled from the effort of the action. He looked up, hopeful.

His hope evaporated quickly, as the crab jumped from him and the package fell. It skidded to the ground in front of him, scattering some sand onto his feet. He sighed.

Although now, he realised, some fortune had reached him; he had a chance to escape the crab - which was now scuttling back to him at some frightening speed. He kicked a small amount of sand at it.

"Shoo," He said, waving a claw at the crab. "Shoo, now."

He waved at it in an attempt to make it go away. It seemed unfazed. Becoming irritated, Anmia scooped the crab up in his hands and stared at it. He frowned at it, then set it down and nudged it away.

"I have no time for you, not now," He hesitated, pondering for a moment exactly why he was talking at the little creature. "I will come back."

This was something of a hollow promise, but it somehow seemed to appease the crab, and it settled into the sand to rest. Anmia nodded, somewhat relieved, and returned to the rock face.

_Now, this should be fun_, he thought, with some dismay. He picked up the satchel and set about finding some decent handholds; it was only about twice his height, he noted, so it should be easy. Even so, it took him some time to get started.

It was arduous, and took him longer than it should have, but finally he reached his destination. Pulling himself over the lip of the ledge he found himself looking out over a plain of rough grasses, a scattering of seabirds drifting overhead. In the distance he could see the beginnings of a bank of trees, reaching up into a dense, even somewhat intimidating, forest.

_Still_, he mused, _better than standing out in the open like this_.

The trees certainly cut the wind, but even so, as night fell once again, Anmia found himself becoming cold.

"Fire," He muttered. "I know how to do _that_."

After some time spend collecting dry leaf litter and sticks - and earning some scratches from small, disturbed, sleeping Rahi - he was at last able to assemble his fire. The larger pieces of wood smoked somewhat, being still wet, but the warmth was pleasant.

Anmia watched as a flame settled on a twig, burning there for a moment before the wood buckled and broke away, joining the ash below.

Once again tired, he held his baggage in his arms, leaned back against a near tree, and quickly fell into his dreams.

And what _troubled_ dreams they were.

_He was standing back on the shore, the figure who he had seen on the scroll - next to him - was facing out to sea. When he reached out to the slightly smaller figure, as his claw brushed against its form - it turned on him abruptly._

_He seemed unable to recoil as a distorted, putrid, mask turned to face him, glaring with dull red, hollow eyes. It reached out to him, said something he couldn't understand, and –_

"What are you _doing_!?"

The cry sent Anmia bolting upright, wide-eyed, confused, dazed, and gasping for air.

"I-"

"Who are you?" Anmia found himself faced, now, with the sharp end of a spear. Trying to calm his heavy breathing, he shook his head, raising his hands to the small creature, so oddly threatening. She was a deep blue colour, tinged in places with a silvery white.

"I - was cold," He chattered. "Please."

The smaller person lifted her spear away from his chest, very slightly.

"Oh, really? You're a fool. That smoke could have attracted all kinds of Rahi I'm sure you wouldn't want to meet. Now," She turned the spear on him again, "Your name."

He swallowed. "Anmia… I think."

Her eye quirked, with a slight curiosity. "You 'think'?" She lifted her spear, stuck it in the ground, and leaned on it. "I don't recognise you. Too tall for a Le-Matoran. Any Matoran. And too dull for a Toa."

Amnia propped himself into a better sitting position, looking up at her. The names seemed familiar, but meant nothing.

"Dull?" He asked, tentatively. "Why?"

"Le-Matorans are green. I suppose you've never noticed that?" She shook her head. "Well, who are you, then? Where are you from?"

Amnia checked his hood, nervous.

"I don't know. I came - from the sea-" He pointed back in the direction of the beach. Now the blue figure looked puzzled.

"Well, you definitely aren't a Ga-Matoran. I've never seen anything like you at home." She picked up her spear. "You'll have to come with me. Besides, it's not safe here. Not with your clumsy fire-smoke."

Unwilling to argue, Amnia got to his feet.

"May I ask a question?"

The blue figure nodded.

"What are you?"

She laughed, incredulous.

"I am a Ga-Matoran. Aroha. Where have you been?" She twitched her spear at him. "You cover your face - why?"

"I think the mask was meant to go there. It's… broken." He patted his satchel.

"I see," She looked a little sorry, now. "Perhaps… perhaps Turaga Maata will be able to help you. Oh - I suppose you don't know what a Turaga is, either." She gestured with her spear for him to follow as she headed into the trees. "They are our leaders."

"That sounds right. I can't remember-"

"You can explain yourself to Maata. I leave for Ga-Pa soon. You can join me, unless the Le-Matoran decide to keep you."

"Keep me?" Anmia asked, perturbed. Aroha had disappeared into the trees, however - he struggled through the foliage after her. "Okay, just - wait!"


	3. Chapter 3 - Le-Mahi

"And that's how I ended up in the forest."

"Well, that's certainly a story," Aroha said, glancing back at him. "But none of it matters until we know who, or what, you are."

Anmia paused for a moment to examine against the large form of fallen tree. Aroha paused, gesturing with her spear for him to sit. The two settled on the log, and she gave him a long, curious look.

"It's not far to Le-Mahi now. We will have time to speak with Maata, and rest there. We don't want to be traveling too much in the dark. There have been some dangerous creatures roaming the island as of late."

Anmia quietly examined one of his mandibles. He had barely seen anything bigger than his own foot while he had been here, but the idea of being faced with more hostile creatures made him ill at ease. He certainly didn't plan to become a meal any more than he planned to become a prisoner.

"Rahi?" He asked, eyeing her with suspicion.

"Yes – well, not exactly. It's something... darker. The Turaga will be able to explain it better than me, but some speak of a sickness spreading from the Temple of Penitence."

"That's quite name." Anmia looked up at the trees around him. It wouldn't be very difficult to simply disappear amongst them, and he likely would have tried act on that plan, were it not for a sudden noise ahead - a splitting screech that had both of them covering their ears. Anmia recoiled from the sound, looking about for its source.

"What is that?" He looked to his small captor. The noise subsided.

"I don't know," Aroha lifted her spear and took a few steps forward. A bird warbled from the trees. "But I've never heard anything like that around Le-Mahi before. We should go."

He could hardly argue with her suggestion. They passed through the forest undisturbed, save for the occasional large bug, only having cause to pause when Aroha stopped him to point out some gash marks on a tree. Large chunks of the wood had simply been torn away

She explained that many of the Rahi had become nervous in recent days, more aggressive.

"And you think that it is because of this 'darkness' you mentioned before? It seems strange that you would exist in peace for so long, and then this." He touched the gash. "What made this?"

"Lerapor, perhaps – all claws and bad temper. Ah, now, look." She pointed through the trees. Light was breaking through the foliage from a short distance away. "We're not far from Le-Mahi now. Turaga Maata will have answers."

The trees began to open out into a trail, winding through the forest towards the open gates of Le-Mahi.

"We're all cautious of strangers, Anmia. Try not to do anything unusual."


	4. Chapter 4 - Convoy

The forest village of Le-Mahi was nestled comfortably between the forest floor and the canopy of the highest trees. Between clusters of tree-huts were large, carefully constructed, platforms upon which large winged Rahi, orange-red in feather and dull gold in armour, were settled. Occasionally one of the resting birds would rise and glide from the village, occasionally accompanied by small green figures that Anmia could only assume were the Le-Matoran Aroha had spoken of before.

Curious eyes watched the strangers from above as voices spread through the trees, drawing out curiosity and suspicion. The presence of Aroha, however, seemed to calm their agitation. Anmia watched as several of the small green figures descended from the shorter trees – though these were still many times his own height – to stand before them. Two of the Matoran held spears, longer in the blade than Aroha's, though they did not threaten their tall grey guest as she had upon their first meeting.

"Aroha," one of them, bearing a smooth, sleeker mask – better shaped to cut through the air – "it is good to see you again."

"As it is to see you, Marii."

The matoran took a moment to study Anmia, then turned back to his friend, "And what is the tall Matoran without mask? These are ever poor times to discover such strangers."

"His name is Anmia. We're looking for Turaga Maata – we hope maybe he can help. His mind is empty of his past."

"Ah, a shame. Just past late to see him. Away to talk to the others," Marrii shook his head, turning back to Anmia. "You are welcome to join us in Le-Mari for a while." He angled his head to view his face. "But you will need a mask."

"Alright," Anmia said, puzzled by his attitude, "thank you."

Aroha nudged his arm as the group of Le-Matoran led the way across the damp forest floor, between smaller straggling shrubs into the more substantial trees, where a system of ladders and steps allowed access to the village above.

"All Turaga are very wise, but there is a lot of tension in the villages of late. Maata is the least affected – for now, at least. Le-Marhi hasn't been attacked in some time."

"Attacked? By the creatures?" Aroha nodded sagely in reply.

As the group ascended through the levels of the village, more of the locals gathered to watch. Marii guided them to a solitary hut, somewhat separate to the others. It rested in a tree of its own, connected to the village only be a long, and somewhat rickety, bridge.

Here was the home of Lefa, the local mask-maker, or at least a repair-maker. This building was different in structure; more wood than leaf, in case of angry winds, it had a large hole at the top of a roughly cone-shaped roof. Anmia had seen the odd hut during their ascent, but he now understood the cause of its strange appearance. In the heart of the structure, a furnace – it oozed with smoke, and Anmia hesitated to step onto the dubious rope-supported bridge to cross over to walk into such a ridiculous place.

"Why did they not build it on the ground?"

"It's past safe on the forest floor," Marii started to explain, but was cut short by the appearance of the mask-maker.

"Marii, and such unusual guests!" Lefa gave them some space to cross into his tree. He stared at Anmia's face, devoid of mask. "Looks like this one needs some quick-help. What happened?"

"He doesn't remember. He came out of nowhere-"

"Actually," Anmia held a hand up for Aroha to let him speak, "it was with me. But it is broken. Beyond repair, I think."

"Hah! You don't know Lefa. I can repair any mask."

Anmia looked skeptical as he fished the pieces of the mask from his satchel and handed them to him. The mask-maker took them back to his forge, then waved them away. It would take a while, he explained. Thus banished from the place, they returned to the village.

Marii and his guards excused themselves and returned to their duties while Aroha too Anmia to sit on a thick bough near the entrance to the Mahi.

The large flying Rahi cried and hooted overhead as they watched the trail leading from the village out into the trees. Anmia was content enough to lean against the trunk of the tree and listen to the sounds around him.

"We believe that a great darkness is coming." She said suddenly. "Two of you would arrive, one destined to serve the light, one the dark. That's why they don't trust you." She continued to stare out into the forest.

He sat up to question her sudden statement when a low horn sounded somewhere within the huts. Cries spread throughout the village as guards began to descend onto the trail, spears ready. The two exchanged puzzled and concerned glances, then set about climbing down the tree. Catching up to the guards, Aroha sought out Marii. He took her aside and spoke to her hurriedly, then sent her back to Anmia.

"It's the Maata's group. Something's wrong – they aren't meant to come back for days." She said, as her companion squinted at the group, still far off the village. Suddenly he grabbed her arm, pointing.

"What is that?"

Aroha couldn't see it at first, but slowly she realized that the group wasn't just traveling back. They were running from something, and it was big. The guards had by now realised this too, and were hurrying forwards to meet them.

"They're too slow," Anmia thought aloud. "Stay here."

Aroha didn't have a chance to argue before he set off at a run. Even in his weak state he would overtake the Matoran quickly. Once he had, much to their surprise, he was quick to reach the group and go past them. Then he was facing the Rahi itself, as the others finally reached each other.

The creature was thicker than he was tall, boasting an impressive set of jaws, the power of which he was not keen on. It was, in effect, a huge snake. Presently it moved to stare directly at him, stretching those jaws and blinking slowly.

Now standing between the convoy and the massive Rahi, he watched as the snake-like creature slid back and closed its maw, uttering a low rumbling growl. Then it did something he found surprising, though not shocking – the creature lowered its head to him, and then vanished into the trees.

The voice of Marii broke the silence that had fallen.

"How did you do that?"

Anmia shook his head, silent, without an answer. He turned to look at them. Although many of the small figures varied slightly in their sizes and shapes, he could tell that the taller figure in the group had to be the Turaga he had been told about, as one of his escorts leaned over to him and said something Anmia couldn't hear. He watched as the Turaga nodded to the Matoran, and the group turned to return to the village.

Marii remained where he was, staring at him, for a time, before turning and following the others. Anmia was dimly that what had just happened had highlighted him as suspicious creature in the mind of Marii – and others, certainly. He shook himself.

Aroha gave him a curious look when he returned.

"Very impressive. How did you do it?"

"I don't know. I didn't do anything."

The Ga-Matoran frowned, looking over to the others.

"Come on."


End file.
